On Tuesday, China’s military conducted joint drills around Taiwan as a means of both warning and punishing the Taiwanese government for what Beijing considers “separatist activity.” The drills involved ships, planes, and some unusual propaganda videos crossing the strait. The alleged provocation was President Lai Ching-te’s recent display of assertiveness towards China, where he labeled China a “foreign hostile force” and announced measures to counter its espionage and influence operations.

However, the primary audience for these drills may have been Washington, specifically aimed at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Shortly before these exercises, Hegseth had concluded a visit to Asia, where he promised “credible deterrence” efforts by the US against China in the Indo-Pacific region.

The joint drills also aimed to convince the Trump administration that President Lai is a troublemaker and to discourage the US from providing high levels of support to Taiwan.

While US support for Taiwan has been less certain since Donald Trump’s reelection, recent actions suggest the US intends to continue supporting Taiwan’s freedom. During a recent visit to Tokyo, Hegseth met with his Japanese counterpart and declared the US’s commitment to maintaining a robust military presence in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait.

Hegseth’s comments and a leaked Pentagon memo, which prioritizes deterrence of a Chinese annexation of Taiwan, have offered some reassurance to Taiwan. However, analysts caution that the Trump administration’s attention is fickle and that the commitment may not be upheld.WalMart Greensboro .

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/02/pete-hegseth-indicates-us-backing-taiwan